This invention relates to a hand weapon, such as a pistol, and is particularly concerned with a safety mechanism for preventing an accidental firing of the weapon in the course of a disassembling operation.
European Patent No. 77,790 discloses a pistol having a frame and a slide which is displaceable thereon and in which a breechblock (referred to hereafter as a "bolt") is disposed. A spring-loaded firing pin, having a firing pin catch, is slidably received in the bolt. To a pivotal trigger a trigger rail is articulated which, at its rear, is jointed to a sear lever which arrests and holds the firing pin catch during the forward motion of the slide/bolt assembly, whereby the firing pin spring is armed. Upon pulling the trigger, the rearward end of the trigger rail runs up on a control cam of a leaf spring and, as a result, the trigger rail is lowered. This occurrence also causes a lowering of the sear lever and thus the firing pin is released and urged forwardly by the firing pin spring. After a shot is fired, the slide recoils on the frame. At the same time, a cam track provided on the bolt laterally displaces the leaf spring so that its control cam is out of engagement with the trigger rail and thus the latter, together with the sear lever, is pivoted upwardly. Thereafter, during the successive recuperating motion of the slide, the firing pin catch is again caught by the sear lever.
The above-described trigger mechanism is relatively complex and requires a great number of individual components. Since during arming of the firing pin spring the sear lever executes a pivotal motion, it may only provide a linear contact with the firing pin catch which results in a relatively substantial wear and requires significant maintenance. The bolt is separately installed in the slide which increases manufacturing costs.
In case the above-described prior art pistol is to be disassembled, first the magazine is removed from the grip well and by performing a charging operation (that is, by pulling back and releasing the slide), a cartridge which may have remained in the pistol chamber is ejected. A transverse pin which secures the slide on the frame is depressed. Since the firing pin catch is still held back by the sear lever, in this position the slide may not yet be pulled off the frame in a forward direction. To allow such a removal, first the trigger has to be pulled. In case an earlier loading motion has not been fully performed or in case the unloading operation has been performed in a reverse sequence, risks are considerable that an unintentional and thus uncontrolled shot is fired.